‘No revolution’: South Ossetian candidate

TBILISI, DFWatch – Alla Dzhioyeva, the candidate who apparantly won the so-called presidential elections in Georgia’s breakaway region South Ossetia, said today that she does not yet intend to seek political asylum.

The comment came after Russian diplomats pointed out that her statement about seeking political asytlum in Russia is meaningless as she is a citizen of Russia.

Dzhioyeva says that the media quoted her incorrectly.

“I again appealed to the president and prime minister of Russia to recognize the results of the elections in the country held on November 27,” Dzhioyeva told the Russian news agency Ria Novosti.

“And I said only as a last resort to consider the possibility of requesting political asylum from Russian authorities. And just in case if I stay alive,” she said.

Dzhioyeva competed in the so-called presidential elections in Tskhinvali against Anatoly Bibilov, the Kremlin favorite. Dzhioyeva, regarded as an opposition representative, beat him by a wide marign and would have become the winner, if not the Supreme Court on November 30 had annulled the results of the elections and appointed new early elections for March 25, 2012.

Dzhioyeva’s supporters launched a protest in front of the so-called government building in Tskhinvali which has continued until today. Their demand is to recognize the results of the elections and transfer government power to Dzhioyeva.

A few days ago, the de facto president of South Ossetia called what is happening now an attempt at an Orange Revolution, with reference to the democracy movement which led to regime change in Ukraine in 2004, adding that he won’t let this happen. Dzhioyeva responded to this today.

“There are no orange scenarios of revolutions here. People are standing in the square because of their beliefs,” she said, and added that people intend to stay there to the end.

Today Ria Novosti reports that the so-called government of South Ossetia has rigged a sound system on the square where people are demonstrating and turned on national music very loud so people cannot talk to each other without raising their voice.

“Protesters stand in the area without taking any action. There is a line of armed security forces between people and the government building,” one of the news agency’s reporters described.